Consent is Everything – A poem for Parsha Vayishlach (Aliyah 5)

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And Shechem the son of Hamor, the Hivvite, the prince of the land, saw her, and he took her, lay with her, and violated her.

Consent is everything.

Listen up, oh princes of Hivvite –
Do not take what is not yours.
Your desires and your status
entitle you to nothing.

Consent is everything.

Listen up, oh Weinsteins and Spaceys –
Your art may be good, your money plentiful.
But none of the contracts let you
take possession of anyone else.

Consent is everything.

Listen up, oh long list of names that
gets longer every day a news outlet exists –
You may be moderately famous.
The masses may have told you
you can have it all. You cannot have it all.

Consent is everything.

Listen up, you old men who’ve
gotten away with it for years –
The laws are no longer in your favor.
The sons of Jacob are coming to
circumcise you.

Consent is everything.

Listen up, youngins
Learn from these mistakes before
they become your mistakes.
Learn this by the common sense of decency.
Do the right thing all the time.

Consent is everything.

everything
everything

These poems are offered free for your enjoyment. If you use them as part of an event, meeting, educational or liturgical setting, please consider tipping the author.

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